W. track and field: Thrower makes big marks on first day of her comeback

Self-motivated, focused and overflowing with confidence,
UCLA’s Lara Saye stepped into the throwing circle at Drake
Stadium on Saturday morning intent on re-establishing herself as
one of the nation’s best. Two regional-qualifying marks in
the hammer and shot put were a good start to the day for Saye. Yet
it was her impressive 183-foot throw in the discus that likely will
do the most to restore her national reputation. “She’s
a fifth-year senior, on a mission, really trying to make a
statement,” UCLA throws coach Art Venegas said. “What a
great triple she had today.” There was a lot at stake on
Saturday for Saye, even in the Bruins’ first outdoor meet of
the year. The former All-American redshirted last season, gambling
that an extra year of training would better prepare her for a run
at the national title in the discus this June. Her performance was
a big first step toward proving that was the right decision.
“The redshirt year really helped,” Saye said. “I
needed that extra year to develop, and it’s going to show
this year.” It already has. A fringe national contender in
the discus prior to redshirting, Saye, who threw over 180 feet in
the discus just once in her first three seasons, has since improved
her fitness, her technique, and her concentration. The results are
coming quickly. Competing unattached in Modesto last year, Saye
uncorked a personal-best throw of 184 feet, 9 inches. Then
Saturday, she nearly matched that performance. “And
she’s throwing way better than that in practice,”
Venegas said. “All she has to do is relax.” Saye
estimates that to win the national title in the discus she will
probably have to throw farther than 190 feet, but she is confident,
noting that last year’s champion, Nebraska’s Becky
Breisch, underwent elbow surgery recently and is out for the
season. That leaves a wide-open field from which Saye hopes to
emerge. “People aren’t really aware that I’m
around because I did redshirt last year,” Saye said. Count on
them paying attention from now on.

JOHNSON STRUGGLES: Hobbled by a hamstring injury for almost two
months, UCLA pole vaulter Chelsea Johnson has practiced three times
since returning, but is not close to finding her rhythm. Johnson,
the defending NCAA outdoor champion, failed to clear the bar at 12
feet, 1.5 inches on Saturday, finishing in third place in her first
outdoor meet of the season. It’s a far cry from where the
junior was at this time last season when she was making a run at
the NCAA collegiate record. “She’s still a month away
from jumping decent bars,” UCLA pole vaulting coach Anthony
Curran said. “We were trying to rush her back to get her into
(this week’s NCAA Indoor Championships), but we realized
we’re pushing her too much. We’re going to sit back,
and try to get her ready for May and June.”

SHORT SPRINTS: Olympic gold medalist Monique Henderson made her
season debut on Saturday, anchoring a pair of relay victories and
matching her career best in the 100 meters with a time of 11.59
seconds. Redshirt freshman Julia Pitts, a member of the UCLA
women’s basketball team, made her track and field debut,
taking second place in the 400m in 59.76 seconds. Freshman Ingrid
Kantola won the pole vault competition, clearing the bar at a
lifetime best 12 feet, 1.5 inches.

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